(1888PressRelease)
May 07, 2009 - On the strength of its success at the 2008 Speciality and Fine Food Fair in London, the Corsican Regional Authority (Collectivité Territoriale de Corse) will again be accompanying a delegation of exporting Corsican companies to the 2009 Speciality and Fine Food Fair. About a dozen companies will be representing Corsica at the show, which will be held in London in September.
“In 2008, we were attending the Speciality and Fine Food Fair for the second time, so we prepared for the trade show very carefully, knowing the potential of the British market for our companies. Indeed, 60% of the international sales of Corsican products are made in Western Europe, including Great Britain. Corsican companies were thus able to use the 2008 event to demonstrate their know-how to potential importers, and numerous contacts were established during the trade fair,” says Mr Paul Bianchi, Chairman Delegate for External Affairs at the Upper Corsica Chamber of Commerce.
Corsica’s export drive is supported by the Corsican Development Agency (ADEC), through its Corsexport programme. The Corsican stand at the Speciality and Fine Food Fair is organised by the Bastia and Upper-Corsica Chamber of Commerce, with support from the Ajaccio and Lower-Corsica Chamber of Commerce. The export drive is part of a programme initiated by the Conférence Régionale Inter-Consulaire de Corse (CRIC – a regional organisation promoting business in Corsica).
With its 6,500 professional visitors, the London Speciality and Fine Food Fair is a major showcase for companies in the food sector. In 2008, the Corsican stand attracted numerous visitors, who were impressed by the quality and diversity of the Corsican produce on display. Restaurant managers, chefs, grocers, wholesalers and distributors sampled the region’s products. Corsican companies returned home with promising commercial contacts and, in several cases, with signed contracts.
Mr Ange de Cicco, Manager of the Fromagerie Ottavi cheese-making company, explains, “If it had not been for that collective initiative conducted by the Upper-Corsica Chamber of Commerce, we would never have considered exporting through our own means as early as 2007. The contacts we established during that first trade fair were fruitful, since our products can now be found in two leading British stores: Harrods and Harvey Nichols. The 2008 fair has also helped us get new contacts, including four highly promising ones. We are anticipating an export turnover of the order of €50,000 to €70,000 for this year.”
Mr Louis Cesari, Chairman of Corsic'alive, a maker of olive oils, adds, “I decided to take part in this trade fair for the first time following a visit by British buyers organised by the Bastia Chamber of Commerce in June 2008. At that time, I was able to establish contacts with a fine-foods store and to arrange some initial orders. For me, the outcome has been positive, as it helps small companies like mine take part in targeted trade fairs at a reasonable cost. There is another benefit: it allows local entrepreneurs from different worlds to meet and exchange ideas and to uncover a definite synergy.”
Mr Jean-Louis Rossi, Manager of Orezza Water, was also satisfied with the 2008 show: “Orezza Water is very glad to have participated in this trade show for the second year running. This follow-up will allow us to extend our knowledge of the British market. Thanks to the Corsexport programme, we were able to approach the British market. Such a step could not have been taken right away without the support of that initiative. The follow-up helped trigger an initial order, find a distributor in the UK, possibly even a second one, and to expose the product to a wider audience.”
In 2008, the following companies exhibited on the Corsican stand at the Speciality and Fine Food trade show: Biscuiterie d’Afa (traditional biscuits), Brasserie Pietra (beer), Castagna Corsa (cakes and sweets made from chestnut flour), Charcuterie Fontana and Charcuterie San Mighele (traditional cured pork), Confiserie Saint Sylvestre (sweets, candied fruit, nougat and fruit bars), Corsica Gastronomia (pâtés, jams, ready meals and sweets), Corsic’Alive (olive oil), Fromagerie Pierucci and Fromagerie Ottavi (goat cheese, ewe cheese, brocciu and tomme cheeses), L’Atelier de la Noisette (hazelnut-based products), Mattei Cap Corse (alcoholic beverages and liqueurs), Orezza (sparkling mineral water), Maison Savelli (traditional biscuits made from chestnut flour), A Paesana (sauces and chutneys), and Sedarc (plums).
About the Bastia & Upper-Corsica Chamber of Commerce
The Bastia & Upper-Corsica Chamber of Commerce (CCI de Bastia) represents and promotes the interests of companies based across the whole of the island region of Corsica.
The Taste of Corsica stand at the Speciality and Fine Food Fair is part of the Corsican Regional Authority’s efforts to help Corsica’s 300 exporting companies and to develop a more export-oriented approach through the Corsexport initiative, which is being spearheaded by the island’s Agency for Economic Development (ADEC).
###
